Winter ice roads and bridges are a common transportation link in the northern regions of Canada, Alaska, Europe and Russia. The Sensors & Software IceMap system is designed to measure the ice thickness on these temporary, yet vital, links and ensure the safety of all travelers.

The GPR sensor is towed across the ice surface behind a truck or snowmobile and the ice thickness data, displayed in real-time as a cross-sectional image, are sent wirelessly to the operator’s computer.

The minimum, maximum and current ice thickness are displayed numerically and graphically. A user-defined minimum ice thickness threshold sounds an alarm when the ice thickness drops below that value.

Rapid data acquisition enables the unit to be towed at speeds up to 80 km per hour. Low power requirements make it possible for a 12V battery to power the system.

Literature

Case Studies

GPR & Arctic Oil Exploration

Arctic oil exploration requires safe transportion of heavy equipment over ice-covered areas. Use of seismic vibrator sources demand that safe ice thickness be assured and quality of data can depend on finding grounded ice. This case study follows the evolution of the IceMap system now widely used for ice thickness mapping.